For an agreeable environment and human health, harmful materials surrounding a living environment due to natural causes or due to various causes resulting from industrialization are required to be removed.
Antimicrobials using chemicals having an antimicrobial function have largely been used in a method of removing harmful materials. Recently, however, as interest in environmental issues and health-related concerns has grown, antimicrobials using natural materials which are environmentally friendly and harmless to humans are preferred.
Essential oils extracted from trees (hereinafter, referred to as ‘tree essential oils’) have been generally known as natural antimicrobial substances. In particular, terpene, a tree essential oil, includes more than 100 chemical components, e.g., hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ketone, oxides, phenols, and the like, and has antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, phlegm discharge reduction, skin hygiene, anticepsis, blood-pressure reduction, sterilization, anti-inflammation, sedation, and other effects. However, in tree essential oils, in the form of oil extracted from trees, chemical concentrations may not be uniform, so their effectiveness as antimicrobial substances may deteriorate. Thus, conventionally, in order to improve the volatility of tree essential oils, an artificial chemical material such as an alcohol may be combined therewith as a solvent. However, such a chemical material may be harmful to humans and/or the environment, according to a degree of exposure, so the adjustment of volatility of tree essential oils using a natural material is required. Thus, a natural antimicrobial that naturally emits an antimicrobial element on a continual basis over a long period of time by controlling the volatility of tree essential oils is required.